A Parallel Love
by Regina-Fairest-Of-Them-All
Summary: In their attempt to save Henry, Regina tries to teach Emma how to use magic. What they don't expect is that a freak accident will turn their entire world upside down!


**Author's Note:** This is my first fanfic, I will appreciate any and all feedback! :D This story is based on an idea by the wonderful vargesz which you can check out here.

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**Chapter One:** _Not So Great Expectations_

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"_Concentrate Miss Swan_." The woman's voice commanded as she took a few steps backwards in order to give the other woman some more space. They had been doing this for the past hour, both getting more and more frustrated at each failed attempt. At the moment steadily the sun was going further and further down towards the blue-lined horizon. The sky was filled with a dramatic array of colour; from deep red to bright golden yellow. This beautiful scene, however, was all but invisible to the two women who were standing a few feet apart from each other on the deck of a ship. The vessel gently moved to-and-fro in the shallow water, sending small ripples out into the clear, navy blue ocean, the wood of the ship creaking with each movement.

"I'm trying." The blonde replied, the frustration and annoyance obvious in her voice as she closed her eyes once more, using all the remaining energy she could muster to concentrate on the task at hand. A few long moments of silence passed, the only sound was the crash of the waves as they hit the side of the vessel, and the breathing of the two women. One was steady and even, the other quick and deep. _Pop_! The blonde's eyes opened quickly. "What is _that_!?" She breathed her voice full of anticipation as she looked down at the deck to where the noise had come from. The brunette walked forward slowly. Despite the other woman's almost tangible excitement and relief, she knew before the blonde had even finished that she had already failed.

Dark brown eyes fell on a tiny, round shaped object which lay half way between the two women. "An apple pip, Miss Swan. You created an apple pip." The brunette said sarcastically, her frustration obvious in her voice. The blonde's hopeful expression fell as she took a step forward to look at what she had created. She let out a deep sigh of disappointment. "Maybe in a year's time you will actually manage an entire apple!" The brunette remarked snidely with false excitement, though she hadn't meant for it to come out so harshly. The blonde looked up and made eye contact with the brunette. "I'm trying my best Regina, but you're not making this easy!" Regina gave the blonde a cold look. "Well you aren't even listening to me! I told you to use your emo…" "…Emotions, yes I know! You've said it every two minutes since we started this, and I'm trying, I really am but having you staring down at me and repeating the same sentence over and over isn't helping!" The blonde said quickly, her words coming out fast in her frustration.

"Well I wouldn't have to keep repeating myself if you actually did what I suggested Miss Swan and if…" "Will you quit calling me _Miss Swan_, I feel like I'm back in High School!" The blonde let out an angry huff. "I think saving an entire town from being destroyed and going on a rescue mission to save our son has brought us on to first name terms don't you!?" Regina glared at the blonde for a moment. She was sick and tired of hearing the woman complain. The brunette had told her what she needed to do but she just wouldn't listen. "Alright then _Emma_, since the problem with you not being able to perform a simple spell successfully has everything to do with how I address you and nothing to do with your plain disregard for anything I suggest then you should be perfectly capable of performing it now!"

Emma glared at Regina for a long moment. She wanted to scream, she wanted to shout. She was almost willing to turn her back on the woman and walk away but she didn't. Instead she stood there, feet stuck to the battered wood below her. There was no way she was leaving now. She had to wipe that smirk off the woman's face even if she collapsed in the process. The blonde closed her eyes and inhaled a few deep breaths slowly, trying her best to calm herself down and concentrate on the task at hand. She took in the light breeze which blew across her face, the sound of the waves crashing and the smell of seaweed. How she wished the two of them could get along. How she wished they could work together without fighting. Maybe then they would be able to save Henry.

Regina stood motionless. As angry as she was feeling, she once again wished that Emma would be successful. She needed to be. There was no other way. Perhaps conjuring up an apple didn't seem to have anything to do with saving Henry but the brunette knew that once the blonde could perform one simple spell without any difficulty then it would lead on to bigger, more complex spells. It was true that Emma had already performed complex magic; they had saved Storybrooke together, against all the odds. The older woman was still unsure how they had even managed it. Everyone's lives had been on the line. All hope seemed to have been lost until Emma had stepped forward and saved the day. "You may not be strong enough, but maybe we are." That's what Emma had said just before their combined magic had stopped the fail safe crystal and saved the entire town. Regina realized now that Emma had believed in herself at that time, she had believed in_ them_. Now, however, something was stopping the blonde from realizing she could do this task.

Emma placed her hands in front of her. A sense of calm began to fill her body as though she was practicing meditation. Her head, however, was still racing, still full of thoughts. Taking a step forward Emma concentrated hard on her finger tips, willing for her magic to come forth. Moments past, each second seemed to last an hour. _Nothing happened_. Emma's muscles grew tense, her fingers bending as her hands contorted. "_Emotions_,Miss Swan." The blonde's eyes flew open. _That was it_. That was the last straw.

Marching forward Emma walked straight towards Regina. Her arms outstretched as if she was about to strangle to woman. "For the last time – MY NAME IS EM…"

_Puff_.

The sheriff and the mayor were _gone_.


End file.
